Two luxurious four-seater carriages, each looking grand enough to belong to a person of high status, entered the Island of Knowledge from the direction of Dungeon City, arriving at Luminor Academy just in time for the evening of the sixth day of the week.

“…Finally, we’ve arrived…”

The door of the carriage swung open, and the first person to spill out was a small mage with red hair, using a staff taller than herself as a walking stick. Following Agnes, the rest of the hero party began to emerge from the carriages, one by one.

“We finally made it back…”
“…I’m exhausted.”
“We were in the dungeon for four straight days and returned as soon as we cleared it. Of course, we’re tired.”
“I’m still full of energy, hero! I could dive right back into another dungeon this very moment…!”
“You were nearly in danger yesterday, Natalie. Take it easy.”

Each member of the hero’s party spoke their own thoughts, the lively chatter creating a noisy scene. Despite how chaotic it seemed on the surface, this party had been together for nearly two years, and everyone had grown accustomed to these kinds of overlapping conversations.

…And then, among this group of eight, three women harbored feelings for the hero.

The three of them were fully aware of each other’s affections for the hero. They constantly watched one another, each trying to close the distance between themselves and the hero through whatever means necessary.

“…Seraphine, now would be a good time…”
“I know, Luke. Could you distract the others for a moment?”
“Leave it to me.”

In a quiet whisper, the princess and her personal guard exchanged their plan. Luke busied himself, moving around to ensure the hero and the princess would have some time alone, while Seraphine took the chance to smoothly suggest an evening date.

“Hero, if you’re free this evening, how about we have a simple meal together before returning to the dormitory…?”
“Hero, I’m hungry. Let’s grab something to eat nearby.”

“….”

Seraphine’s attempt to discreetly invite the hero to dinner was instantly blocked by Silena, who casually interrupted with her own request.

The air between the two women crackled with tension, and in the span of a few moments, countless unspoken words passed between them through their sharp gazes.

‘You already spent several days alone with him on the way back from the Witch’s Forest. Can’t you at least give me a few hours this evening?’
‘No. And you always come up with some excuse about “important matters” just to call him over. Stop being so petty.’
‘Those really are important matters!’
‘Liar. How many times have you deliberately left me and Cerista out, only to claim you “forgot” to invite us when we found out? I’m not falling for it anymore.’

This unspoken exchange was something that a normal person wouldn’t even notice, let alone try to join. And so, a natural alliance began to form between the princess and the elf, who both regarded the saint, Serista, as the biggest threat.

‘Fine. Let’s form an alliance just this once. Right now, she’s the most dangerous one.’
‘…Agreed.’

A week ago, in the Sun Temple Puzzle, the hero and Serista had been judged as “in love.” This event led both Seraphine and Silena to see Serista as a more dangerous rival, prompting them to join forces in excluding the saint.

After all, if they were going to compete, they might as well start from the same point. If they couldn’t proceed together, they could at least try to bring the one who had advanced ahead back to their side.

“By the way, Saint Serista, it’s already evening. Shouldn’t you be heading back to the church by now?” Seraphine said, masking her intent behind polite concern.

“Oh, yes. Now that we’ve returned to the academy, I suppose I should report back…”
“In that case, I can walk you back—"
“Hero! Actually, I was planning to hold a meeting about the distribution of the dungeon rewards. Would now be a good time? I thought we could discuss it over dinner nearby,” Seraphine quickly interjected.

“Here? I don’t mind, but then… who’s going to escort Serista?”
“I will ensure Saint Serista is escorted safely back to the church with my life, hero,” Luke chimed in.
“Well, if Luke is handling it, then it should be fine. Plus, hero, you’ll need to provide your input on the reward distribution.”
“I suppose, but there’s no need to rush. We could have discussed this back in the carriage. It’s not like it was urgent…”
“I forgot! You didn’t let us sleep properly for four days straight, you beast.”
“Don’t say it like that, Silena. We didn’t sleep because we were clearing the dungeon. And besides, you couldn’t sleep because you weren’t used to the bedding…”

Seraphine and Silena had successfully distracted the hero and excluded Serista from the conversation.

“How long are we going to stand here? If there’s nothing important to discuss, I’m heading back,” Agnes grumbled.

“In that case, Natalie and I will also head back,” Thomas added, eager to spend time alone with Natalie.

Seraphine smiled inwardly, pleased that her plan seemed to be going well. But her impromptu scheme was easily undone by the hero’s simple suggestion.

“Instead of splitting up, why don’t we all just have dinner together? Serista doesn’t need to rush back right away, does she?”
“Uh, w-well, if I delay my report, the bishop might…”
“The Geology Exploration Class is still part of the dungeon course, and the distribution of rewards is part of the class. How could the bishop blame you for not returning when class isn’t technically over yet?”
“Th-that makes sense, I guess…”
“If you’re worried about getting scolded, I’ll go with you when the time comes and help sort it out. Isn’t that right, Seraphine?”
“…Yes. That’s a perfectly reasonable suggestion, hero.”

With no valid excuse to send Serista away, and with Seraphine unable to object to the hero’s logic, she reluctantly agreed.

And so, the hero’s party decided to hold their final meeting over a late dinner.

“…I’m tired…” Agnes muttered, dragging her feet as she followed the group.

“But is there even a place around here that can accommodate all of us for dinner? Most of the restaurants nearby only have tables for four, and we didn’t make a reservation…”
“There’s a place I know. I became acquainted with the owner recently, and if we explain the situation, I’m sure they’ll make room for us,” the hero offered.
“You personally know the owner of a restaurant?”
“Yeah. They mentioned business was slow, so I gave them some ideas for new menu items.”
“…You really go around doing all kinds of things, don’t you?” Agnes muttered under her breath, as the hero and his party made their way to the restaurant.

_________

“I never knew a place like this existed on the Island of Knowledge. Did you know about this, Lilith?” Ethan asked as we walked into the chicken restaurant, drawn in by the fragrant aroma.

“…No, I’m discovering it for the first time as well, Ethan,” I replied, trying to appear nonchalant.

Led by the irresistible smell of chicken, I had instinctively grabbed Ethan’s hand and pulled him into the restaurant. Now, realizing what I had done, I tried to act as though I wasn’t familiar with the place.

“What should we order? This spicy chicken looks good,” Ethan said as he scanned the menu.

“Spicy chicken is tasty, but it can become a bit overwhelming if you eat only that. I suggest we go with the half-and-half option, which includes crispy chicken as well. That way, we can enjoy a balanced meal,” I responded, quickly thinking on my feet to cover my slip.

“…You can be honest if you’ve been here before, Lilith. I’m not going to scold you for coming without me,” Ethan said with a knowing smile.

“No, it’s not that… I was just thinking from the perspective of the shop owner. The fact that they offer a half-and-half option means the owner must know that both flavors are good, and they want to give customers a balanced experience. Otherwise, why go through the extra trouble of cooking two different types of chicken?”

“…You’ve got a point. I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Ethan said, nodding. “You’re right.”

I had nearly exposed myself by ordering like I always did in my past life, but thankfully, I managed to cover it up in time. With that, Ethan and I ordered a half-and-half chicken, a plate of fries, and a cold ale each.

‘I never thought I’d be able to enjoy chicken and beer in this world.’

I knew how this place had come to exist. It was probably the result of Gevmo clearing the side quest “The Secret to a Successful Restaurant” and sharing one of his recipes with a struggling restaurant owner in the marketplace of Luminor Academy.

It wasn’t part of the main questline, but the reward for completing it was “royalties,” which made it a must-do for anyone looking to secure funds. Back in my previous life, I had cleared the quest by picking random recipes—sometimes it was chicken, sometimes jajangmyeon, and sometimes pork belly. It seemed that Gevmo had wisely chosen to teach the owner a chicken recipe this time.

Thanks to that, I was now about to taste the flavors of home, something I hadn’t had in years. My heart raced with anticipation.

‘How long has it been since I last tasted fried chicken?’

It had been seven or eight years since I regained my past life memories, almost a full decade when rounded up. While I hadn’t been plagued by cravings or withdrawal symptoms, chicken was still one of those things a Korean would always want to eat from time to time.

Sure, I had completely forgotten about fancying up the mood with Ethan in a French restaurant, but it was too late to regret that now. All I could do was enjoy this place as much as possible.

If Ethan hadn’t forgotten about the reward, he would bring it up on his own without me having to mention it first.

“Half-and-half chicken, fries, and cold ale are here!” the server announced as they placed the dishes on the table.

For now, I decided to focus on the flavors of home before me. I picked up a piece of chicken with my fork, ready to savor it when—

“Here we are. This should be a nice, quiet place to talk,” a familiar voice rang out from the entrance.

“…Is this the place?”
“I smell something strange. Is this a roast chicken shop…?”
“As an elf, I can tell you this definitely isn’t chicken. Judging by the aroma, it’s probably seafood…”

The once quiet restaurant suddenly became filled with familiar voices.